As one of the few token moms of the Tillamook Marketing/Communications team, I find myself always sharing stories of my kids (and their love of all things Tillamook). Honestly, mostly my two boys (3½ and 7½) just eat Tillamook au natural – cheese sliced up as a snack (or meal, or lunch box inclusion), yogurt right out of the cup – no need for fancy recipes for them to enjoy the Tillamook goodness. But, they are pretty partial to homemade mac and cheese. We have a few recipes we rotate, but this is one of my favorites because it (in a very non-obvious to kids-way) includes a little bit of vegetable. ;-) Don’t tell the kids, the shredded carrot pretty much looks just like shredded cheddar. Not sure mine have ever really noticed it! If you’re making this for grown-ups and want to add some extra spice, feel free to add a little cayenne or hot sauce into the egg mixture with the mustard powder.

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients
2 cups macaroni noodles
2½ cups coarsely grated carrot (about 8 small carrots)
3 cups grated Tillamook Sharp Cheddar Cheese
¼ cup (½ stick) Tillamook Unsalted Butter, cut into pieces
¾ cup Tillamook Sour Cream
¼ cup whole milk
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¾ teaspoon mustard powder
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup finely grated parmesan cheese

Preparation
Preheat oven to 400°F and grease an 8-inch square baking pan. Cook macaroni according to package instructions in a large pot of salted boiling water. Add grated carrot 3 minutes before pasta is finished cooking, then drain well. While pasta is hot, stir in all but ½ cup of the cheddar and the butter.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the sour cream, milk, eggs, salt, mustard powder, and pepper. Fold mixture into the pasta. Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan then sprinkle the remaining cheddar and the parmesan over the top. Bake until the casserole is firm to the touch and golden brown, about 30 minutes.

By Tori

I love my Tillamook Cheese Cookbook and I began to wonder how these well-worn pages came together. So I sat down with our very own Kathy Holstad to learn more about her experiences creating the Tillamook Cheese Cookbook.

Q: How did you first taste Tillamook?
A: My grandparents were Tillamook dairy farmers, as were my great-grandparents. So, Tillamook Cheese was, of course, always in their fridge. It is what I grew up on – in our house and in theirs. My Grandpa lived to be 94 years old and he claimed that a hunk of Tillamook Cheese, a bowl of hot oatmeal, and hard work every day is the reason why he lived such a long and healthy life!

Q: What inspired you to create the Tillamook Cookbook?
A: When I started working at Tillamook in 1997 there were no formally tested recipes or food photography. My goal was to someday have a collection of recipes that could be put into a beautiful cookbook because it had never been done before. The 100^th Anniversary of the Tillamook County Creamery Association seemed like the perfect time to make it a reality.

Q: How long did it take?
A: We created, tested, and photographed all the recipes over about 12 years, and then it took 1 year to put the actual cookbook together with our publisher.

Q: What was the hardest thing about writing a cookbook?
A: Picking which recipes will go into the book – they’re all so good!

Q: What was the most fun part about writing a cookbook?
A: Hands down working with the generational family farms for all the photos. They were so honored to be a part of it (and some were so shy!).

Q: What was one surprising thing you learned through the process?
A: The amount of creative people it takes to create a really great cookbook.

Q: What is your favorite seasonal ingredient used in the cookbook?
A: Crab, squash, or apples.

Q: What’s your favorite recipe overall?
A: That’s a hard question as there are so many! The Scalloped Potatoes (page 63) are very simple, but the addition of the different kinds of delicious Tillamook Cheese make it very special.

Q: What’s your favorite recipe for a quick weekday dinner?
A: The Everyday Macaroni and Cheese (page 98) is a great base, but I add other ingredients to make it different every time. I may add shrimp and Cajun seasoning one time, or chicken and nutmeg the next time, and always play with the cheese combinations. Have fun with a basic recipe! Instead of all Medium Cheddar, make it with half Pepper Jack and half medium, or a blend of medium, Vintage White Extra Sharp and Monterey Jack…mix it up!

Q: Which recipe sounds the hardest, but is the most worth it?
A: The Mega-Cheesy Mac & Cheese (page 114) with crab. It has a lot of ingredients, but it is so worth it!

Q: What’s your favorite part about working for Tillamook?
A: The farmers, the family atmosphere, and the fact that everyone works so hard to make amazing Tillamook products to share with our consumers.

By Gillian

At my old job I used to invite co-workers to my home for potlucks and one of them brought over this delicious dish. It completely changed the way I thought about macaroni and cheese. It’s the perfect hot and spicy meal on a cold and rainy day. I love it because you can use different types of cheese to completely transform the taste and character of the meal. We use Tillamook Pepper Jack and Sharp Cheddar, but if you don’t want it spicy you can just use the Colby. If you prefer a smokier flavor you can use the Smoked Cheddar, or if you really love your garlic, use a Garlic Cheddar. If you want to really kick it up a notch, try Tilamook’s Habanero Jack.

SPICY MAC AND CHEESE

2 Tablespoons Tillamook Unsalted Butter
2 tablespoon flour
½ onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 ½ cups milk (I use nonfat)
1 (7 oz) can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (chop the peppers, and keep the sauce)
16 ounces cooked macaroni (you can use a penne or ziti if you want, just make sure the pasta is tubular so that the cheese sauce can meander its delicious way through)
8 ounces Tillamook Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded
6 ounces Tillamook Pepper Jack Cheese, shredded
breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese (optional)

Note: If you want your mac and cheese to be extra cheesy, you might want to do 12 ounces of the sharp cheddar. You can use the full 8 ounces of pepper jack, but be ready for a mouth en fuego if you do.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta to al dente. Melt butter in a large saucepan then add the garlic and onion — sauté until nice and soft (about four minutes). Slowly add the flower and whisk to prevent clumping. When mixed and smooth, add the milk. Continue to whisk this mixture, then add both cheeses. Once the cheeses are nice and melted, add chipotle peppers and adobo sauce. If you find the sauce is too thick for your liking, just add a drop of milk, mix it, and repeat until you receive the desired thickness of your sauce. Pour the pasta into a 13 by 9 baking dish, then pour cheese sauce over the pasta. Mix the sauce around to fully coat all of your noodles. Smooth out the top so it’s moderately even. Sprinkle some breadcrumbs, parmesan, or any other kind of cheese on top. Cover, then cook, for about 15 minutes, then uncovered for another 15 minutes. This dish is best eaten when it’s hot!

By Jala